ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate whether suture fixation can restore posterior cruciate ligament(PCL) function for injuries at the distal tibial insertion of PCL during cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty(CR-TKA).
Methods A retrospective study was conducted on 18 patients with complete PCL dysfunction who underwent CR-TKA at Beijing Tsinghua Changgung hospital from January 2017 to September 2021.Inclusion criteria were PCL injuries localized at the distal tibial insertion (including tendinous avulsion and insertion avulsion fracture).There were 6 males and 12 females, aged 60 to 78 years, with a mean age of (68.0±5.6)years.Preoperative and postoperative knee range of motion(ROM) were assessed.Postoperative evaluations included posterior drawer test, gravity sag test, and patient-reported satisfaction with knee function.
Results All patients were followed up for 12 months postoperatively.The knee ROM was (114.17±6.17)° at 3 months after surgery, which was significantly higher than the preoperative value of (83.89±12.31)°.Only 2 patients(11.1%) showed notable differences in posterior drawer test results between the operative knee and the contralateral healthy knee, yet none of these patients complained of symptomatic knee instability.The patient satisfaction rate regarding knee function was 94.4% at 12 months postoperatively.
Conclusion Suture reinforcement for distal tibial insertion injury of the PCL can effectively restore PCL function, improve knee joint stability, and increase patient satisfaction.
